Why use background music?

Just to recap, here’ are the top 3 reasons most marketers and business owners opt to include music in their promotional videos:

1. Music helps to grab attention even before anything happens in the video.

2. Music helps to control perception. Do you want the viewers to perceive your brand as confident and trustworthy? To perceive your service or product as comforting and worry-free? Music can help you to achieve exactly that!

3. Music helps to set the mood and creates emotional connection with your target audience. Think, how do you want the viewer to FEEL when watching your video? Exited? Comforted? Alert? Emotional?

Still can’t find it? Get in touch with the artist or their management and ask.

Be prepared that it may get quite expensive to license a popular song.

Here’s what Gael MacGregor, an experienced music & film industry professional, says about the license negotiation process:

“License fees may vary widely, with the fees based on how it’s used, how many minutes/seconds are used, how many times it’s used, if it’s also used as the opening and/or end title, the overall budget of the project, and so on. Licensing is a wild west kinda proposition — with publishers setting the fee. Whatever the market will bear — or whatever they can negotiate with the requesting party — is what it will cost.”

Thus, be ready to consider alternatives!

A quick note about performance rights

The Sync and Master licenses will give you the right to use copyrighted music in videos and similar media projects.

However, if you plan to broadcast or publicly play your video, you may also need to obtain a so-called performance license.

Most professional composers are members of a performance rights organization (PRO) of their country. The PRO collect performance royalties when their members music is performed in public places or transmitted to the public over the radio or television broadcasts, music-on-hold, cable television, and by the Internet.

Most broadcasters (TV, radio stations), video sharing platforms like YouTube and Vimeo, and venues like hotels and conference halls already have blanket performance licenses that cover all applicable music, so in most case you will NOT need to obtain a separate license on your own.

However, in case your broadcaster or the venue does not have a blanket performance license, you will need to obtain the additional performing rights from a PRO in your country.

Music licensing is complicated! Is there an easier way?

Tracking down the publishers and negotiating the license fees may not be neither quick nor easy. Trying to figure out if you need a performance license may complicate things even further.

The two biggest issues with negotiating the licenses are time and money.

If you are on the budget, you can consider one of the following options.

Legal free music

Public domain music

That covers compositions and recordings with expired copyright. Note that copyright laws vary in different countries and so does the copyright expiration time.

Furthermore, even if the composition itself is in public domain, the recording may be still under the copyright. That’s often the case with classical and jazz records.

Music available under Creative Commons license

Many composers and musicians distribute their music for free under the Creative Commons license.

Generally that means that you can use Creative Commons music free of charge. However, there are different kinds of creative commons licenses, so pay attention to the details.

Often you will be required to give credit, may be restricted from using the music in commercial projects, or will be obligated to share your work under the same terms.

Keep in mind, that even though Creative Commons music won’t cost you in terms of dollars, you will be searching through a vast pool of music that neither was specifically made for marketing video, nor was made to adhere to any particular quality standard.

Not to say that free music is necessarily bad (not at all!) but be ready to search through a really mixed bag.

Stock / production music (made specifically for licensing)

If you have a bit of a marketing budget, consider purchasing a stock music track from a music library.

These days, many large and small music libraries offer affordable instrumental music for commercial use priced specifically for freelance video producers, YouTubers, independent software developers, small business owners and marketers, and so on.

Most libraries will offer a variety of royalty free music licenses depending on how you intend to use the music.

However, when choosing music library pay attention to licensing fine print. Some libraries will require you to purchase a new license for every new project, while others may have more generous terms.

To use in personal or small business (up to 10 employees) promotional video, social media, podcast, presentation, free / student film, free app / game, and any media / online content not intended for sale.

Commercial Royalty Free License

To use in corporate (10 employees +) promotional video, social media, podcast, presentation, tradeshow, point of sale, on hold, event, online / regional TV advertisement incl. political, and all revenue generating media, games and online content up to 1,000 sales.

Extended Royalty Free License

To use in all revenue generating content with unlimited sales, feature film with unlimited distribution, TV/Radio show with nation-wide audience, and commercial TV/Radio advertisement.

To use in personal or small business (up to 10 employees) promotional video, social media, podcast, presentation, free / student film, free app / game, and any media / online content not intended for sale.

Commercial Royalty Free License

To use in corporate (10 employees +) promotional video, social media, podcast, presentation, tradeshow, point of sale, on hold, event, online / regional TV advertisement incl. political, and all revenue generating media, games and online content up to 1,000 sales.

Extended Royalty Free License

To use in all revenue generating content with unlimited sales, feature film with unlimited distribution, TV/Radio show with nation-wide audience, and commercial TV/Radio advertisement.

To use in personal or small business (up to 10 employees) promotional video, social media, podcast, presentation, free / student film, free app / game, and any media / online content not intended for sale.

Commercial Royalty Free License

To use in corporate (10 employees +) promotional video, social media, podcast, presentation, tradeshow, point of sale, on hold, event, online / regional TV advertisement incl. political, and all revenue generating media, games and online content up to 1,000 sales.

Extended Royalty Free License

To use in all revenue generating content with unlimited sales, feature film with unlimited distribution, TV/Radio show with nation-wide audience, and commercial TV/Radio advertisement.

To use in personal or small business (up to 10 employees) promotional video, social media, podcast, presentation, free / student film, free app / game, and any media / online content not intended for sale.

Commercial Royalty Free License

To use in corporate (10 employees +) promotional video, social media, podcast, presentation, tradeshow, point of sale, on hold, event, online / regional TV advertisement incl. political, and all revenue generating media, games and online content up to 1,000 sales.

Extended Royalty Free License

To use in all revenue generating content with unlimited sales, feature film with unlimited distribution, TV/Radio show with nation-wide audience, and commercial TV/Radio advertisement.

To use in personal or small business (up to 10 employees) promotional video, social media, podcast, presentation, free / student film, free app / game, and any media / online content not intended for sale.

Commercial Royalty Free License

To use in corporate (10 employees +) promotional video, social media, podcast, presentation, tradeshow, point of sale, on hold, event, online / regional TV advertisement incl. political, and all revenue generating media, games and online content up to 1,000 sales.

Extended Royalty Free License

To use in all revenue generating content with unlimited sales, feature film with unlimited distribution, TV/Radio show with nation-wide audience, and commercial TV/Radio advertisement.

To use in personal or small business (up to 10 employees) promotional video, social media, podcast, presentation, free / student film, free app / game, and any media / online content not intended for sale.

Commercial Royalty Free License

To use in corporate (10 employees +) promotional video, social media, podcast, presentation, tradeshow, point of sale, on hold, event, online / regional TV advertisement incl. political, and all revenue generating media, games and online content up to 1,000 sales.

Extended Royalty Free License

To use in all revenue generating content with unlimited sales, feature film with unlimited distribution, TV/Radio show with nation-wide audience, and commercial TV/Radio advertisement.

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One thought on “How To Legally Use Music In Commercial Business Videos”

Hi! This may sound like a silly question, but to cover my bases please inform me. I am starting a small business, and want to create short videos (2-5mins) about my work, life, and effort. In these videos, I’d like to have background music to make it more fun.

I am a sole owner and employee. I want to post these videos on my social media to help make my business visible.

I want to make sure what is legal and what is not, as well as how to make this as easy and right as possible.